The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to pass any order granting any status to the Jaipur Polo Ground in Lutyens' Delhi taken over by the Central Government from the Indian Polo Association (IPA) last week. Justice Tejas Karia said the Indian Polo Association (IPA), which manages the ground, can approach the Patiala House Court, which is hearing its plea challenging the government's eviction notice.
The court made this comment when the counsel appearing for IPA requested the bench to pass the order on the status till June 17, when the District Court will hear their plea to stay the government's eviction order. IPA's lawyer, Senior Advocate Akshay Makhija said that this is a polo ground. If they start digging it, years of hard work will go in vain. Don't let them start digging it up. I am requesting for status by Wednesday. Central Government Standing Council (CGSC) Ashish Dixit protested on this.
Justice Karia said that the association can argue on this before the District Court. The court said that the District Court judge will decide the IPA's stay application on its merits, and will not be influenced by the observations or decisions of the Principal District and Sessions Judge and the Delhi High Court.
Let us tell you that IPA approached the High Court against the June 12 order of the Patiala House Court, in which it was refused to stop the Central Government from taking over the Jaipur Polo Ground. A day later, the ground was taken over by the government. In his order, vacation judge Dhirendra Rana had refused to stay the government's eviction notice, noting that similar requests had been made in higher courts and no relief had been granted. Judge Rana had said that keeping in mind judicial discipline and proprietary, I am not ready to stay that order even till the next date.
The central government has tried to take back valuable portions of land in Lutyens' Delhi, including the Jaipur Polo Ground, Delhi Race Club area and the historic Delhi Gymkhana Club. The government argues that these assets are necessary for “large public purposes”, national security needs, defense infrastructure and governance-related projects. However, this step has been challenged in the court. Recently, the Delhi High Court criticized the move, saying that encroachment on green spaces and heritage structures located in the heart of the city would harm the environment.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna had said earlier this month that whatever little breathing space we have in the NDMC area is also about to go. We will all suffocate and die. The government never needed land in 200 years? Only you know what you are going to make of Delhi. You are telling the people of Delhi to go to small mountains and Delhi will not be fine. You have no idea how we are suffocating. You are also going to take away the little lung we have.
